Diy Kit Assembly Guide
step 1
Required Tools
To assemble the DIY Kit, you will need:
- Soldering equipment
- Flux
- Multimeter for continuity checks
- Scissors / Snipping tool
- Tape (Preferably Kapton)
- 1.3 mm Hex Allen Key
- IPA for cleaning (Not mandatory)
step 2
Prep your workspace
Prepare your soldering equipment, and lay the Main Board on its front - with the N32 Logo facing towards you.
step 3
Align the chip
Lay the ESP32 flat on its designated pads. Make sure all of the pins are laid straight on their designated pads.
Add a healthy amount of flux onto the pads and pins.
Choose a preferably finer tip for your soldering iron, and set the working temperature to no higher than 350°C.
step 4
Solder 1-2 corner pins
This allows you to now double-check the alignment without locking the chip into place.
Make sure the chip didn't lift, move, or rotate while making the first few solder joints.
Do not heat the chip for prolonged periods of time. Keep the soldering time short, around 2-3s per pin.
step 5
Solder the rest of ESP pins
Following the previous guidelines, solder the rest of the pins accordingly.
After doing so, check the continuity between neighbouring pins. Any solder bridges formed at this step can damage the device beyond repair.
Ensure that none of the neighbouring pins are bridged, and only then proceed to the next step.
step 6
Tin a pad under the Jack
Shift your focus to the top-right corner of the board.
Tinning one of the pads will make it easier to position the 3.5 mm Jack.
step 7
Position the Jack
While keeping the solder on the tinned pad melted with your soldering iron, position the 3.5 mm Jack onto the Main Board.
Ensure that the Jack is laid flat on the surface of the PCB.
step 8
Solder remaining Jack pins
Solder the rest of the 3.5 mm Jack pins accordingly.
Keep the soldering short, as excessive heat can melt the plastic Jack.
After doing so, it is a good time to clean this side of the PCB with IPA, but it is not mandatory.
Flip the board to the front.
step 9
Prepare the A button
Cut off the top-left leg of one of the buttons.
step 10
Solder the A button
Solder the A button, but do not solder the cut-off pin, or the plated through hole underneath it.
step 11
Prepare 3 buttons
Prepare 3 buttons, and trim all of their pins to half-length.
step 12
Solder trimmed buttons
Solder the trimmed buttons into these 3 slots (SW5, SW11, SW12).
Then, make sure that the solder doesn't protrude too much from the back side of the PCB.
step 13
Solder remaining buttons
Solder the rest of the buttons in a regular manner.
The remaining buttons can protrude from the back side of the board. No trimming is required.
Now prepare the Display.
step 14
Line up the display
Shift your attention to the middle of the PCB.
Gently unfold the ribbon cable from the Display and align it with the "^RIBBON" marking.
Prepare a small piece of tape (preferably Kapton).
step 15
Tape down the ribbon cable
Very gently tape down the ribbon cable in the appropriate position.
Make sure that the pins lie flat on the PCB, and their flexibility doesn't lift them upward.
step 16
Check display alignment
Gently lay the Display down on the board and check if it is aligned properly.
Sometimes the screen can tilt or slightly shift, even if the ribbon cable seems to be taped down perfectly.
The silkscreen markings can help you with this step.
step 17
Flux and solder the display
Flux is your best friend in this step.
Apply a healthy amount of it, and only proceed to solder the connector.
Pre-apply a small amount of solder to your iron and drag it laterally - from the connector to the board pads.
When you finish soldering, double-check the continuity between the pads and the ribbon cable pins.
Any bridges in this step can damage the device beyong repair.
Make sure that no neighboring pins are bridged.
Disclaimer: Pins 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, and 18 (counting from the bottom up) are Ground, and they are internally connected.
step 18
Prep your workspace
For the next steps, put the Main Board aside, and prepare:
- 4x M2 Heated Inserts
- Top-Half of the case
- Clean soldering iron / Heat insert setter
We will be setting heated inserts into the 4 corners of the Top-Half of the case.
step 19
Set one Heated insert to half-depth
Heat your soldering iron to about 200°C
Pointing your soldering iron straight down, press the insert into the plastic.
Don't force it, allow the insert to gently sink into the material.
This step allows you to make an inspection in the next one and prevent alignment headaches later on.
step 20
Check insert alignment
Temporarily place the other half of the case on top of the top half.
Align them together as well as you can, and look at the insert you have just set through the hole.
Make sure that you can clearly see the insert, and it is centered within the hole.
If it is not perfect on the first try - don't worry! We have set it to only half the depth, exactly in case this happens.
step 21
Set remaining inserts
Follow the previous 2 steps for each one of the 4 inserts.
Readjust them as many times as you need, but make sure they are seated firmly within the plastic case.
step 22
Prep your workspace
Set the top half of the case aside, and prepare:
- The Battery
- The Speaker
- The Bottom case half
- Buttons
step 23
Insert the Battery
Gently press the battery into its cavity.
Make sure the cables come out through the cutout on the bottom of the battery cavity.
step 24
Insert the Speaker
Peel off the sticker tab underneath the speaker, and stick it into its cavity.
Wrap the wires so they stick out towards the bottom of the case, like in the picture.
step 25
Insert the Main Board
Place the Main Board over the previously inserted components.
Make sure the PCB is laid flat on the case.
Feed the connectors from the Battery and Speaker through their designated cutouts in the PCB.
step 26
Plug the JST connectors
Plug in the JST connectors from the Battery and Speaker into their receptacles.
step 27
Ensure Battery Polarity
Prepare your multimeter, and set it to read DC Voltage up to 20V.
Place the negative (Black) probe on Test Pad 5 (TP5) and the positive (Red) probe on Test Pad 4 (TP4).
The voltage should read anywhere between ~3.7V and ~4.2V. (Approx.)
If the battery voltage reads negative (e.g., -3.8V), immediately unplug the battery connector.
Double-check whether your probe placement was correct (Negative = TP5, Positive=TP4).
If the voltage persists as negative, contact support.
step 28
Position switch covers
Place the switch covers over the switch tips for both the Audio Switch and the Power Switch.
Ensure that the lip sticking out of the switch cover is positioned towards the top of the console.
The covers should loosely fit the switch tips.
step 29
Button-up the case
Place the buttons in their corresponding slots on the console.
Ensure that the A and B buttons are in the correct orientation. (They are the only asymmetrical buttons).
step 30
Prep for final assembly
Lay both case pieces flat. Rotate the Top Half upside down and place it beneath the Bottom Half, like in the picture.
Have your 4x M2 Screws and the 1.3 mm Hex Allen Key on standby, within arm's reach.
step 31
Assemble the two halves
This step requires some patience and may take a couple of tries.
Fold the two halves towards each other while gripping the screen with your thumb.
Mind the cutouts for the USB receptacle and the power switch cover.
Don't over-tilt the Top case half so that the placed buttons don't fall out of it.
If everything went smoothly, grip the device tightly together.
step 32
Screw the device together
Screw in the 4x M2 Screws with your 1.3 mm Hex Allen Key in a star pattern.
Don't overtighten them. Screw them in one by one gently until the device is held together tightly.
